SA MP Nick McBride in court over assault

charges

June 2025 Independent MP Nick McBride has appeared in court for the first time since being charged with assaulting his wife. Philip Nicholas McBride, 55, of Robe, appeared in the Nara-coorte Magistrates Court on Wednesday where his lawyer adjourned the matter to next month. The South Australian MP was charged with three counts of assault last month. Court documents provided to the ABC state that Mr McBride allegedly assaulted his wife three times on April 10 at Conmurra, in South Australia’s Limestone Coast region. The charges against Mr McBride came after unrelated criminal allegations against several other former South Australian Liberal MPs, including Troy Bell, Fraser Ellis and ex-leader David Speirs. Speaking outside court, Mr McBride said it was a matter before the court and it was not appropriate to make further comment “while this process continues”. “I want to make it clear that the court process has no impact on my primary role and that is I’m the member for MacKillop,” he said. “My core focus is to represent and advocate for the people who live and work in this MacKillop electorate and as my job, I will continue to do that.” Mr McBride’s lawyer Danni Stephens asked the court to adjourn the matter until next month “for disclosure”. Mr McBride was elected to the safe Liberal seat of MacKillop in the state’s south-east in 2018, but in 2023 he quit the party and has since sat on the crossbench. At the time he blamed “dark forces” in the party and said it was controlled by “factionalism”. The 55-year-old is also a grazier, and his family has owned Conmurra Station — 30 kilometres east of Robe — since the 1930s.

Greek Tribune Adelaide, South Australia